Spring Training for Your Pup

Does your dog know the difference between his toy and your shoe?  Not only is destructive chewing a hazard to your property, it’s a hazard to your dog’s health as well.

Puppies are terrible about chewing.  Like babies and toddlers they feel the need to discover the world with their mouth.  Throw that on top of teething and you don’t own any furniture that hasn’t been chewed.  If you fail to curb this bad habit while he or she is still a puppy then you will end up with a destructive chewing adult dog that can do more damage.  It’s very important to teach your pup the difference between what can be chewed (his toys) and what things are off limits (everything else). 

Teach your dog to know his toys from yours

1.       Grab a handful of items. This handful should be a mix of things around the house with a few dog toys.  It can be toys (kid toys and dog toys), chew sticks, bones, shoes, clothes, books, remote control, etc.  Just be sure to include the items that you specifically DO NOT want your dog to chew on.

2.       Place the items randomly in a circle.  Have your pup wait patiently while you do this.

3.       Once the items are set, allow your pup to go check out the items and encourage him to bring one back to you.  Use a command like “Get your toy”, even if he doesn’t understand the command yet.  You want him to associate that word ‘toy’ with his things.

4.       When he picks up a dog item, praise him in a happy tone and reward him with a treat if you choose (praise may be enough of a reward).

5.       When he picks up an item that is off limits, use a very stern “NO” then quickly remove the off-limits item and replace it with a dog item. Once he has the dog item give lots of praise.  If a dog doesn’t want to let go of an off-limits item then you can use a shaker or something to quickly distract him while you take the item away.

6.       Continue this exercise for 10-15 minutes.  Any longer and your pup will lose interest and easily become distracted (which is true for any training exercise).

Practice this circle at least once a week until your pup no longer bothers to pick up forbidden items. 

And remember, correcting a dog when chewing an off-limit item should only been done when you catch your dog in the act.  No matter how guilty a dog may seem to act after you find your favorite shoes destroyed, he is really just reacting to your anger without understanding why he is in trouble.  Instead, when you catch him chewing on a forbidden item quickly remove it and replace it with a dog item then praise him. 

If your dog continues to chew on items that have your scent, try sticking one of his toys in your laundry hamper for a week, so your scent will be on his toy.  Or try rubbing a yummy scent, like chicken broth, on one of his toys instead. 

While this training exercise won’t work with furniture exactly, you can try other tactics to curb that habit.  For one, you should ensure your pup has plenty of teething toys for him to chew on.  You should also be sure to give your dog plenty of exercise to safeguard against chewing out of boredom.  And lastly, you can try spraying the furniture with bitter spray.  If you are consistent and none of these tactics work, you may just have to wait for your puppy to grow out of the teething phase.  But if your dog is destroying your house and it’s creating unnecessary stress in your home then it’s time to contact a professional trainer to help you reclaim your home.